Maruti Suzuki expects small Hybrid cars to be a key success in India

As infrastructure of electric cars is still in an infant stage, hybrid cars are the way forward when it comes to tackling the pollution crisis in the country. 

Maruti Suzuki, in the coming days, sees a huge potential for small hybrid cars in India. With the infrastructure of full-electric cars still in quite an infant stage, hybrids are the way forward when it comes to tackling the rising pollution crisis in our country. In an interview given by RC Bhargava to ET Auto, the Chairman of MSIL said that Suzuki is currently working hard to bringing down the costs hybrid technology so that the same can be equipped in small cars, increasing the viability and practicality of these vehicles in our country. 

The main reason for switching to electric driven cars is for the reason that apart from providing an emission free driving, they also help in improving an over-all fuel economy. Mr. Bhargava added that the same can be achieved through hybrid cars as well. Maruti already has mild-hybrid technology and plans to increase the scale of the same up a notch to make it further cost-effective and fuel efficient. Once the Hybrid technology becomes low cost, faster adaptation of the same will happen. In India, since majority of the market comprises of small cars, introducing hybrid technology in the same will be highly beneficial, keeping in mind that the prices are low. 

Currently, in Maruti’s portfolio, the only vehicles which comes with a hybrid technology (mild-hybrid), is the Ciaz c-segment sedan. This mild hybrid technology is offered only with a 1.3-litre diesel engine. Equipped with this technology, the Ciaz has become the most fuel-efficient vehicle in India with a mileage of 28.09kmpl. Read Also: Maruti Suzuki expects to sell more petrol cars rather than diesel ones by 2020

What future small cars could come with a similar hybrid technology from Maruti? Well, the soon to be launched Ignis is a worthy contender. As a matter of fact, the same is already available with a mild-hybrid variant in the international markets. The Ignis is expected to launch in India sometime during the first half of 2017 with both petrol and diesel derivatives. It is likely that the diesel derivative gets the mild hybrid technology at the initial stage. Read More: Maruti Ciaz outsells Honda City: Maruti Suzuki to evolve cost effective products in India

Apart from that, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno is also a contender for the introduction of hybrid technology. The development of a mild-hybrid variant of the same is already under progress and we can quite possible see the launch of the same by late 2017 of early 2018. In addition to that, Maruti could, in the near future, equip the Vitara Brezza with a mild hybrid variant as well. 

Talking about the full-hybrid, that technology making its way into smaller budget cars is surely to take quite bit of time as the same first needs to become cost effective.